Wednesday, January 17, 2007

Hi, Clubhouse!

Well, that wasn't so bad... Anna Ditkoff certainly seems to share the collective outrage r.e. the lack of outrage...
ps. Burg, you look just like Jason Schwartzman <-high compliment!
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22 comments:

Unknown said...

I thought you would look different D's... but your very pretty nonetheless.

Wed Jan 17, 04:20:00 AM EST
Maurice Bradbury said...

Aw, how sweet! And I look 100 times better in real life (or so I like ot think)!
(If you happen to run in to me this week, that's the thing to say.)

It's funny, in the pictures it looks like we're all thinking really deep thoughts, but at least in my case JJSteele was like, "look over there!" and he knelt down and I said, "please don't shoot me from below, it makes my face look really round" and he said "oh no, it'll be good!" and I was thinking, yeah right, and this'll be the one they'll use, too.

Your pic is great-- your expression is dead-on sad and angry. Chuck's pic looks like an album cover!

ps., I certainly didn't create iVillage's Web site (or even the calendar), I just supplied the content for the first trimester ("your embryo is now the size of a bean!") That's a heckofa claim, you'd think the fact checker would have raised an eyebrow there ...

and one last gripe (disclaimer, Anna did a great job of combining multiple narratives in a huge story, it really is a great piece), but ..."just when you think you have total outrage fatigue, Baltimore makes it possible" makes no sense, because what is the 'it' referring to? The rest of the sentence should be "to squeeze out a little bit more" or something.

pps., thanks Chuck, for keeping the site going. It's funny to read that I feel exactly how you did when you got burned out on Murderland... "what good am I doing?"

Wed Jan 17, 08:15:00 AM EST
Unknown said...

Believe me your doing good even if you don't know it.

I got an email a while back from someone who read my blog and basically thanked me for expressing the feelings they couldn't put into words... basically just because people don't say they are affected, they are.

I never kept up as much as I do now since I started reading your blog.

I , myself, feel burned out sometimes just going through the motions of keeping up with my brother's case, but we do it for personal reasons.

Oh btw, yes I do look mad and sad as hell... the day Jefferson Steele took my picture it was windy, cold as hell, and my eyes were watering from the wind but yes, actually standing on that corner for the first time in awhile and not just walking by did make me think about my bro.

Overall, I think it's a good article, and burger, why in heck did I think you were female?

Guess the lack of sleep when reading this blog maybe lol

Hey... they should have interviewed Galt , I'd like to see his pic {hint hint}

And they didn't link to my website on the citypaper site... maybe for the best, when the sun did I got lots of positive feedback with the occasional "Seek God" or "Your horrible" comment

Ok I'm done now

Wed Jan 17, 08:36:00 AM EST
ppatin said...

I think Citypaper got decent pretty pictures of everyone. For some reason I expected Burgersub to be a lot older.

Wed Jan 17, 09:02:00 AM EST
ppatin said...

Damnit, the above post should've said "I think the Citypaper..."

Wed Jan 17, 09:07:00 AM EST
ppatin said...

Heh, did anyone see the first comment at the end of the Citypaper article? "MAYBE WE NEED SOME NON-VIOLENCE SEMINARS STARTING IN OUR SCHOOLS." Non-violence seminars. I didn't think that people that naive actually existed.

Wed Jan 17, 09:14:00 AM EST
Maurice Bradbury said...

We had non-violence seminars at my school!
Go, Quakers!

Wed Jan 17, 09:27:00 AM EST
burgersub said...

i'm only upset because she said i looked like a) an "underclassman" and b) and Hopkins student. that's what i get for wearing a button-down shirt during the interview.

also, anna ditkoff doesn't know what guitar hero is!

Wed Jan 17, 10:13:00 AM EST
taotechuck said...

Wow... I'm really happy with how the article turned out. I'm sure I gave Anna plenty of stuff that she (or her editors) could've hung me with, but I trusted my gut and spoke freely and didn't get burned.

It's great to learn more about Chris, and it's good to read about you, Liz. It's been a long while since we've talked... maybe some evening we could catch up at the bar and you could tell me how you think Murderland could be better, how it could be more useful to families who have lost someone.

Oh, and my only gripe... I wish someone would have mentioned that "China Garden" (where I'm standing in the photo) is where Leon Nelson was killed in the first murder of 2007. Being in there was strange, because it proved just how routine murder is in our city. There was no sign of what had happened, it was just business as usual. Life goes on, even when it doesn't.

Wed Jan 17, 10:58:00 AM EST
John Galt said...

The 'Quakers'? That's a street gang from the West Side, right?

On another note, I'm really disappointed there hasn't been more interest expressed in Judge Glynn's revelation that the Circuit Court is only capable of about 500 jury trials annually.

That's a very, very serious problem, because under the Sixth Amendment, you cannot incarcerate a man without offering him the opportunity of a jury of his peers. We have over 900 shooting incidents alone per annum, so at least 400 of them have to walk (which subsumes taking a far lesser plea).

This is sufficient cause for letting Brandon Grimes walk with his (or whoever's) gun. This is a sufficient (even if incomplete) explanation for the total absence of justice in Baltimore. With over 10,000 felony charges a year filed through Circuit Court, Ms. Jessamy gets a pretty compelling excuse.

Wed Jan 17, 11:53:00 AM EST
burgersub said...

oh yeah, the other thing about the article i didn't like was the cover picture of the dude with a septum piercing pointing two guns into the reader's face, and the fake "2006" and "275" tats on his knuckles. and i thought them asking me to pose in front of a murder scene was too sensationalistic/insensitive.

Wed Jan 17, 11:57:00 AM EST
taotechuck said...

Galt, you bring up a point that's bothered me for some time. Jessamy is one of the few politicians in this city at whom I'm not pissed off. Everyone points their fingers at her office, but it seems to me that the shortcomings of the S.A. are due to other problems that short-circuit Jessamy's staff.

For example, if the S.A. pursued charges against every arrest, virtually every cop in the city would be spending their days in court rather than on the street. Since the police are understaffed, trying every case would leave the city more vulnerable than letting half walk.

That's just one of many ways that I perceive other politicians -- particularly the mayor and commissioner -- as tying the hands of the S.A.'s office. Am I wrong?

Wed Jan 17, 12:16:00 PM EST
taotechuck said...

Yeah, I thought the cover sucked too.

I actually asked to do the interview at China Garden (not knowing JJS would be shooting photos), so if it was sensationalistic and/or insensitve, that was on my side, not theirs. But frankly, I think it's way more insensitive to pretend 275 murders didn't happen than it is to take a photo that might help people to understand just how serious the problems in Baltimore are.

Wed Jan 17, 12:30:00 PM EST
ppatin said...

"Fortunately" the police don't solve the majority of those 900 shootings. That helps ease the burden on the court system.

Wed Jan 17, 01:05:00 PM EST
burgersub said...

i wasn't trying to call you out chuck, i was just saying that ridiculous cover puts to shame any concerns i had about what they originally wanted my pic to be like.

Wed Jan 17, 01:21:00 PM EST
taotechuck said...

No worries, Chris, I didn't take it that you were trying to call me out. I had the same concerns and spent a lot of time thinking about the potential insensitivity of a photo at China Garden. And for what it's worth, my comments about insensitivity were general, not directed at you or anyone in particular. This story has reminded me of how pissed I am about what happens in this city. (As if I'd forgotten...)

Wed Jan 17, 01:30:00 PM EST
John Galt said...

Oh, don't misunderstand. I still think the S.A.'s office has some blood on its hands. It's just that they have some legitimate issues out there by which to point fingers.

In theory, they should book up the docket with the first 500 triable felony cases, regardless of severity, and then scream bloody murder when the 501st, a liquor store holdup with two fatalities, gets dismissed for lack of timely prosecution.

But instead, the Court prevails upon the S.A. to offer generous plea deals or null pros. and clear the docket so the most 'important' cases can be heard. The result is the dilution of all the penalties specified or suggested under Maryland's Criminal Code.

And that's why when you go to District Court to testify, you find guys apprehended with handguns getting PBJ or STET.

Consider:

the Baltimore City electorate totals less than 300,000,

1/3 of all Baltimorean males are on some form of supervision, so around 100,000 mothers/sisters/GFs will be situationally excludable from serving on a jury in a felony case under voir dire,

so the jury pool is at most 200,000. But many do not show, let's consider 150,000 reliable eligibles.

If you need 12 members to a jury, then you have at best enough citizenry for about 12,000 jury trials, once a year per juror selected, and no more. And that maximal estimate is just about the number of cases brought before the Circuit Court.

You see, Baltimore City contends with 13 times the criminal burden per capita that the remainder of the state faces. A solution consistent with the vicinage requirements of the 6th amendment would be to combine Baltimore and other central maryland jurisdictions within a single circuit court district, with access to the entire districtwide jury pool. This has been done, for instance, in the Eastern District of New York to good effect.

Wed Jan 17, 07:15:00 PM EST
InsiderOut said...

judges also offer plea deals without the state's attorney's approval. the state's attorney cannot do anything when the judge says i'm going to give him probation if he pleads guilty.

Wed Jan 17, 08:46:00 PM EST
Anonymous said...

Great story folks,and great work.You truly care........ as human beings should.....but the comments listed afterwards were ??? WTF!!!
There is no invisible being that is reducing crime, so lets support the humans that are tasked with curtailing it - the police. WTF!! where does this fool live??????? Iam sad to say Dixon attended the same high school as me...... and shows a hands off.. im not gonna get dirty approach!!!!
She's gotta go!!!!!

Wed Jan 17, 09:30:00 PM EST
Maurice Bradbury said...

1. Liz, we need to do drinks. We all do! Anybody free Saturday? I'll take y'all anywhere but the Voo, please!

2. Yeah Burg, I don't think anyone was killed by a white guy with a pierced septum this year.

3. Quakers!

4. non, you can use all the ? and ! on the keyboard... I still can't parse that sentence.

Thu Jan 18, 12:36:00 AM EST
Maurice Bradbury said...

I mean to say, #3, Quakers!

Thu Jan 18, 12:38:00 AM EST
Unknown said...

I work at the Vous saturday lol until 9, but any other day except Wednesday which I work at 8 I'd love to do drinks... maybe Molly's or any pub that anyone can recommend. email me and we can work something out.

And the Vous isn't that bad...before 9pm, then all the hardcore drinkers, addicts, crazy and psychotics come out a.k.a my friends lol

Thu Jan 18, 03:31:00 AM EST

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